Improvement in lamps



J. HIGGINS.

Lamp.

No. 41,702. PatentedFeb. 23, 1864.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HIGGINS, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN LAMPS.-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 11,702, dated February 23, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HIGGINS, 0

I Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Lamp, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of the lamp, the chimney and circular plate A being removed; Fig. 2, a vertical section through the center of the same, and on the line X X of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan of the removable plate A detached from the lamp.

My invention has for its object to enable me to produce a greater width of flame and more lightin a given direction in proportion to the circumference of the wick than is practicable-with a circular wick, and for this purpose I employ an oval wick, and inorder to -avoid the difliculties attending the manufacture of an oval chimneyI have combined the oval wick, by means of a peculiar construction of parts, with a circular chimney, and have thereby produced a lamp the flame of which may be extended to any desired width.

In the accompanying drawings, B is the body of the lamp,which,ifof glass,is cemented to the oval metallic socket (3, through an opening in which passes the central oval tube, f, there being a tight joint between the socket G and the bottom of the tube to prevent the leakage of the oil from the lamp. The interior current of air to the wick enters the holes 0 in the base of the lamp, and passes up through the tube f, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.

Immediately outside of the tube f is another tube, 9, oval in form like the other, and of a size that enables it to be slid over it. To the outside of this tube is adapted the wick h, over which, at its upper extremity, is slipped the circular cup D, (seen in plan in Fig. l, and in section in Fig. 2,) the circular plate A being removed from Fig. 1 to expose the cup D. This cup has an oval opening in its center, from which rises the flange d, of a size that shall just enable it to be slid over the wick. When thus in place, it rests upon the top of the metallic rim E, which, when the lamp is of glass, may be secured to it by plaster in the customary manner.

v'v'ithin the cup D, and resting upon the ledge s, is a circular plate, A, which is held in place by the springs m, that secure the shade F to the lamp.

The plate A has an oval opening, G, Fig. 3, in its center, from which rises the flange or guard 70, between which and the flange d, rising from the cup D, is a continuous draftpassage, as, which conducts the air entering by the holes a to the outside of the wick and flame. Through the center of the interior tube, f, passes the rod H of the button L, which is of an oval form, corresponding to that of the wick. The lower end of the rod H clasps the pin P, which works up and down in a vertical slot in the lamp-stand, and is tightencd by the thumb-nut 0.

It is obvious that by means of the above construction the lamp-wick may be enlarged to any desired extent without the necessity of resorting to the use of an oval chimney.

It will also be seen that the lamp may be readily taken to pieces for the purpose of cleansing, it being necessary simply to remove, first, the chimney, then the removable plate A; next the cup D may be slipped from off the wick, and, lastly, the tube g, with its wick h, may be drawn from off the interior tube, f, leaving only the latter permanently attached to the lamp.

1 am aware that it is common to use both flat and circular wicks in round chimneys; but the value of my invention consists in combinin g with the intense flame and perfect combustion of the round wick the peculiar economical advantage of the flat wick-namely, presenting an extended surface in the particular dircction in'which the light m y be required.

I claim- The combination of the two concentric elliptical tubes f g, the circular cup D, provided with an elliptical flange, (I, and the circular removable plate A, provided with an elliptical guard, It, all the said parts being constructed,

arranged, and employed in the manner and for the purposes herein specified.

THos. R. ROAGH, P. E. TESCHEMAGHER. 

